Having been here less than a year there is very little that I can say about this day. In many ways Yom Hazikaron makes me feel more like an American than ever. However, there is something that I would like to share.
It is hard for Jews to be awed by numbers, because we are inundated with one big one: 6,000,000. Quantities lose meaning, and therefore seeing the number 22,500 really doesn't hit me.
There are three ways that I can connect to this day.
The first is watching videos like this in order to gain an understanding of what those 22,500 lives meant.
The second is a point that I heard this morning from a friend who pointed out the irony of the day. It is a day of remembrance, and for far too many families, a day of sadness. However, at the same time it is an incredible day of achdus. I know that the "real" Yeshivas are not doing anything practical to commemorate the day and I have no taina with them. But, unfortunately, their is no concept that brings people together like nonexistence. Death somehow has a way of making us forget our shtuyot. And that is why I get ticked off when I hear small minded people complaining one way or another about the practices of the day. This Yeshiva had a commemoration, this one didn't. Who cares. Get over yourselves and realize that what we do is not the point-- its where we are at. Today, other than a few psychos, we are all in the same place. And that is special.
The third way that I connect is through the understanding of what I have done to my family as a result of making aliya. At this point I cannot have a true understanding of what Yom Hazikaron is. But I will. Hopefully in as distant a way as possible.
The things we do for this crazy place.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Is Aliya the only way?
A little while ago my dad posted about the difficulty of making aliya with teenagers. Someone named Gabi responded with this. An I added my two cents:
Allow me to be more specific. The real question that I would like to deal with is this: Is Aliya for every Jew?
Truthfully, for me to address the issue is somewhat disingenuous. It is a halachic question and, as anyone who has read this blog can likely tell, I am very much unqualified. However, as a recent oleh I believe that I do have insight into this topic that I would like to share.
Let me start by saying this. Aliya is great, and many, perhaps most olim make it work. Making Aliya has changed my life for the better in more ways than I can articulate and I am grateful to the Ribbono Shel Olam for placing me in the position to make it happen. The timeless words of the Kuzari seem appropriate here.
Jews belong here. The Land of Israel is where we thrive. As my friend Hooie (once again name changed to protect the innocent (actually this time it really is changed. Oh well.)) succinctly put it, "Israel is a really, really great place."
That being said I think it is preposterous to posit that every Jew must make aliya, or even that every Jew should make aliya. Moving here is hard, and it is not for everyone. My wife and I did it by the book-- we moved while we were young, arranged our schooling around the assumption of moving, etc., etc. etc. It has still been difficult in ways we could not have anticipated (more on that later).
To most people the notion that aliya should be a cautious decision is not a chidush. But there is something that I detect in the voices of Americans who wish to make Aliya that distresses me because I am fairly certain of what its source is. That something is guilt, and its source is us- and by us I mean olim.
During the few times when I dragged my lazy, anti- social behind out of Yeshiva for Shabbos, I had the pleasure of staying at the houses of various olim, new and old. What I remember most about these visits was returning to Yeshiva feeling guilty. Guilty that I was still an American, and that somehow, without a teudat zehut I was living a meaningless life. This was not my experience with the most of the olim I stayed by, mind you-- but too many.
Guilt should not be a factor in aliya, and those who don't make it should not feel guilty. Yet, the self- righteousness of so many olim is enough to make one sick.
Let's make two things clear, despite the fact that they are not points that should need clarification.
1. It is entirely possible to live a meaningful life outside the Land of Israel.
2. It is entirely possible to waste one's life inside the Land of Israel.
Making aliya is not a free pass, nor is staying in the States a death sentence.
Reasonable people act reasonably when making big decisions. One would be hard pressed to find a much bigger decision than whether or not to make aliya. To ask people to turn off their intellect and make rash decisions regarding aliya, is to me, unconscionable.
Careful Gabi, you seem to be suffering from an acute case of Oleh- Self- Righteousness Syndrome. To begin with I would ask you why there is a need for an organization like this or this... (ayen sham forI feel I must elaborate-- not only regarding the notion of moving with teenagers (which, by the way, I recently heard from a member of the NBN social services department is being unofficially discouraged by her organization), but the concept of Aliya.
the rest)
Allow me to be more specific. The real question that I would like to deal with is this: Is Aliya for every Jew?
Truthfully, for me to address the issue is somewhat disingenuous. It is a halachic question and, as anyone who has read this blog can likely tell, I am very much unqualified. However, as a recent oleh I believe that I do have insight into this topic that I would like to share.
Let me start by saying this. Aliya is great, and many, perhaps most olim make it work. Making Aliya has changed my life for the better in more ways than I can articulate and I am grateful to the Ribbono Shel Olam for placing me in the position to make it happen. The timeless words of the Kuzari seem appropriate here.
It is not difficult to accept the assumption that one land is set aside from all other lands. Do you not see with your own eyes that a place is better than all other places for a specific plant, a specific mineral, and a specific animal... The Chosen People are not able to cleave to the Godly matter in any land but this one. (Kuzari, B: 10- 12) (My own very poor translation)
Jews belong here. The Land of Israel is where we thrive. As my friend Hooie (once again name changed to protect the innocent (actually this time it really is changed. Oh well.)) succinctly put it, "Israel is a really, really great place."
That being said I think it is preposterous to posit that every Jew must make aliya, or even that every Jew should make aliya. Moving here is hard, and it is not for everyone. My wife and I did it by the book-- we moved while we were young, arranged our schooling around the assumption of moving, etc., etc. etc. It has still been difficult in ways we could not have anticipated (more on that later).
To most people the notion that aliya should be a cautious decision is not a chidush. But there is something that I detect in the voices of Americans who wish to make Aliya that distresses me because I am fairly certain of what its source is. That something is guilt, and its source is us- and by us I mean olim.
During the few times when I dragged my lazy, anti- social behind out of Yeshiva for Shabbos, I had the pleasure of staying at the houses of various olim, new and old. What I remember most about these visits was returning to Yeshiva feeling guilty. Guilty that I was still an American, and that somehow, without a teudat zehut I was living a meaningless life. This was not my experience with the most of the olim I stayed by, mind you-- but too many.
Guilt should not be a factor in aliya, and those who don't make it should not feel guilty. Yet, the self- righteousness of so many olim is enough to make one sick.
Let's make two things clear, despite the fact that they are not points that should need clarification.
1. It is entirely possible to live a meaningful life outside the Land of Israel.
2. It is entirely possible to waste one's life inside the Land of Israel.
Making aliya is not a free pass, nor is staying in the States a death sentence.
Reasonable people act reasonably when making big decisions. One would be hard pressed to find a much bigger decision than whether or not to make aliya. To ask people to turn off their intellect and make rash decisions regarding aliya, is to me, unconscionable.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
A weird place
I am always struck by the absurdities of this strange place that seem to fly right over the average Israeli's head. I am sure that if I sat and thought I would be able to come up with a list of over one hundred odd things that go on in this wacky place, which the average Joe misses because it is so, well... normal.
For now let's settle for one such topic: Motor scooters. Yes, these contraptions are everywhere in Yerushalayim- which makes sense considering the abundance of simtaot (alleyways), one way streets, and roads leading to nowhere that are a staple of Jerusalem life, and which can only be navigated by these nifty machines.
That is not what's funny. What makes me laugh is that one can find every type of person riding. Young or old, chiloni or charedi, male or female, it does not matter. Everyone and their grandmother rides them-- and I use that phrase very literally. Grandmothers do ride motorbikes here in Israel.
The first time I saw this phenomenon I was stunned. Walking down Rechov Yaffo I see a woman dressed in the usual motor biking attire: leather biking jacket, leather pants, a helmet painted in wildly clashing colors. She pulls off the helmet and... Is that you Bubbe?!? Well, not mine but surely someone's . I look around to snicker with my fellow pedestrians who must also be astounded by this absurd sight, but no, everyone else seems to think that it is perfectly normal.
Experience would tell me that it was normal. And I too have learned to keep a straight face.
But inside I am still smiling.
For now let's settle for one such topic: Motor scooters. Yes, these contraptions are everywhere in Yerushalayim- which makes sense considering the abundance of simtaot (alleyways), one way streets, and roads leading to nowhere that are a staple of Jerusalem life, and which can only be navigated by these nifty machines.
That is not what's funny. What makes me laugh is that one can find every type of person riding. Young or old, chiloni or charedi, male or female, it does not matter. Everyone and their grandmother rides them-- and I use that phrase very literally. Grandmothers do ride motorbikes here in Israel.
The first time I saw this phenomenon I was stunned. Walking down Rechov Yaffo I see a woman dressed in the usual motor biking attire: leather biking jacket, leather pants, a helmet painted in wildly clashing colors. She pulls off the helmet and... Is that you Bubbe?!? Well, not mine but surely someone's . I look around to snicker with my fellow pedestrians who must also be astounded by this absurd sight, but no, everyone else seems to think that it is perfectly normal.
Experience would tell me that it was normal. And I too have learned to keep a straight face.
But inside I am still smiling.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Dov Bear misses the point
A few days ago my dad wrote this:
To which DB responded with this:
DB you just don't get it. It's not actually eating chametz (although chometz is pretty hot after seven days of matzah with cream cheese) it's the fact that we can eat chametz if we so desire. When I called I was actually lying about eating both pizza and falafel at once-- although I did eat both in due time.
2. OOS called from Yerushalayim on Acharon shel Pesach to rub it in. He left a message on our phone that he and HHW were eating both pizza and falafel (Shalom's falafel, at that) at the same time. I guess we deserve it.
To which DB responded with this:
What's so hot about chometz? I never understood the rush to fres.To which I must respond:
DB you just don't get it. It's not actually eating chametz (although chometz is pretty hot after seven days of matzah with cream cheese) it's the fact that we can eat chametz if we so desire. When I called I was actually lying about eating both pizza and falafel at once-- although I did eat both in due time.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
People I want to kill
Lets start with the guy from the following story:
This morning, as is my minhag, I went to the 6:45 minyan in the shul across the street. This shul is, hmmm... how should I put it?... interesting (Yes, interesting is a nice word for a shul that is in a bunker, and which gets over 100 people for kabbolos shabbos, yet struggles mightily to get a minyan for shacharis on a weekday. But I digress).
We are almost always able to get a minyan, but unfortunately today was an unlucky day, and at 7:15, with only eight men the decision was made to daven b'yichidus. At 7:25 a ninth man entered. At 7:35, yes SEVEN- THIRTY FIVE!!! No you are not reading that incorrectly a full FIFTY MINUTES!!! after davening was scheduled our asiri (tenth man) (lets call him @&%*) entered (this is not strange for @!*&, he never comes before 7:15).
Seething, I ripped off my tallis and tefillin, and headed for the exit. As I left, @#^% turned to me, and in a reproachful voice says, "Ma zeh? Yeish lanu minyan. Assur lecha la'azov." (What is this? We have a minyan. It is forbidden for you to leave)
A word of advice Mr. @#$%--- watch your back.
This morning, as is my minhag, I went to the 6:45 minyan in the shul across the street. This shul is, hmmm... how should I put it?... interesting (Yes, interesting is a nice word for a shul that is in a bunker, and which gets over 100 people for kabbolos shabbos, yet struggles mightily to get a minyan for shacharis on a weekday. But I digress).
We are almost always able to get a minyan, but unfortunately today was an unlucky day, and at 7:15, with only eight men the decision was made to daven b'yichidus. At 7:25 a ninth man entered. At 7:35, yes SEVEN- THIRTY FIVE!!! No you are not reading that incorrectly a full FIFTY MINUTES!!! after davening was scheduled our asiri (tenth man) (lets call him @&%*) entered (this is not strange for @!*&, he never comes before 7:15).
Seething, I ripped off my tallis and tefillin, and headed for the exit. As I left, @#^% turned to me, and in a reproachful voice says, "Ma zeh? Yeish lanu minyan. Assur lecha la'azov." (What is this? We have a minyan. It is forbidden for you to leave)
A word of advice Mr. @#$%--- watch your back.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Biur Chametz-- Israel Style
The Mishna in Pesachim (21a) brings down a machlokes regarding whether biur chametz min hatorah may be done only through sreifa (burning) or if it can also be accomplished through mefarer v'zoreh laruach oh matil layam (crumbling and throwing to the wind or dropping into the sea).
It seems that here in Yerushalayim a fourth method has been invented: zorek lachatulim (throwing to the cats).
Throughout the month of Nisan Yerushalmi felines feast on the discarded chametz of Yerushalmi Jews, enjoying the benefits of our labor. Anyone who has ever lived in the holy city knows that when throwing out trash one must be wary of these small creatures jumping out of the dumpsters as the garbage gets thrown in. However, before Pesach extra caution is necessary, as one bag of trash can cause the hasty retreat of five to six mangy cats. Helping their cause is the minhag in Israel not to sell chametz gamur.
Cats benefit after Pesach as well. There is a kindhearted soul living on my block who takes it upon himself to feed the cats that call it home. In the mornings he puts out cat food, a tin full of milk, and four or five opened yogurts for his little friends to dine on. It must be that this Pesach he miscalculated his matzah consumption and bought too much because this morning, in addition to their regular meal, the cats were given a tin full of crumpled up matzah. Now, I cannot claim to have any knowledge regarding the inner workings of the feline digestive system, but if matzah has the same effect on their stomachs as it does on mine than I think I will be forced to reassess how kindhearted this man really is.
As an aside: If anyone has any idea of the history of the cat epidemic in Israel please enlighten me in the comments section. I have heard that cats were specifically brought in to take care of the mice, but I don't know that for sure.
It seems that here in Yerushalayim a fourth method has been invented: zorek lachatulim (throwing to the cats).
Throughout the month of Nisan Yerushalmi felines feast on the discarded chametz of Yerushalmi Jews, enjoying the benefits of our labor. Anyone who has ever lived in the holy city knows that when throwing out trash one must be wary of these small creatures jumping out of the dumpsters as the garbage gets thrown in. However, before Pesach extra caution is necessary, as one bag of trash can cause the hasty retreat of five to six mangy cats. Helping their cause is the minhag in Israel not to sell chametz gamur.
Cats benefit after Pesach as well. There is a kindhearted soul living on my block who takes it upon himself to feed the cats that call it home. In the mornings he puts out cat food, a tin full of milk, and four or five opened yogurts for his little friends to dine on. It must be that this Pesach he miscalculated his matzah consumption and bought too much because this morning, in addition to their regular meal, the cats were given a tin full of crumpled up matzah. Now, I cannot claim to have any knowledge regarding the inner workings of the feline digestive system, but if matzah has the same effect on their stomachs as it does on mine than I think I will be forced to reassess how kindhearted this man really is.
As an aside: If anyone has any idea of the history of the cat epidemic in Israel please enlighten me in the comments section. I have heard that cats were specifically brought in to take care of the mice, but I don't know that for sure.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
How quickly things change
One year ago yesterday I was celebrating the second day of yom tov in America. And that seemed normal and good to me. After all, yom tov is synonomous with two days, isn't it?
When we decided to move to the holy land I was struck by how weird it would be to celebrate only one day from now on. After all, yom tov is synonymous with two days isn't it?
Yesterday, while still getting over the, um, excretion system predicament that comes with drinking four cups of wine and 781 kzeisim of matzah in a single night, I thought to myself, "My God I can't imagine doing this again tonight. How are my parents going to get through it? After all, any idiot knows that yom tov is only one day. Right?"
When we decided to move to the holy land I was struck by how weird it would be to celebrate only one day from now on. After all, yom tov is synonymous with two days isn't it?
Yesterday, while still getting over the, um, excretion system predicament that comes with drinking four cups of wine and 781 kzeisim of matzah in a single night, I thought to myself, "My God I can't imagine doing this again tonight. How are my parents going to get through it? After all, any idiot knows that yom tov is only one day. Right?"
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Stick a fork in us
We are done
It's official. Israel has become a watered down, highly pathetic, and very poorly dressed copy of Ameropue.
I get the whole celebrity obsession thing in America. In the States, if you can't find something to excite you then life gets boring. Some people get excited by fishing, others learning, and some people (O.K., just women) get their kicks out of flipping the pages of PEOPLE.
But in Israel you don't need to look far for excitement. In fact, life would be a whole lot better if it were a tad more boring. Shouldn't nonstop violence lend some perspective?
Somewhere in shamayim the Satmar Rebbe is telling Ben Gurion, "I told you so."
p.s. I know that I am a bit behind the times with this story. Gimme a break. I got two babies.
It's official. Israel has become a watered down, highly pathetic, and very poorly dressed copy of Ameropue.
I get the whole celebrity obsession thing in America. In the States, if you can't find something to excite you then life gets boring. Some people get excited by fishing, others learning, and some people (O.K., just women) get their kicks out of flipping the pages of PEOPLE.
But in Israel you don't need to look far for excitement. In fact, life would be a whole lot better if it were a tad more boring. Shouldn't nonstop violence lend some perspective?
Somewhere in shamayim the Satmar Rebbe is telling Ben Gurion, "I told you so."
p.s. I know that I am a bit behind the times with this story. Gimme a break. I got two babies.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
On Jaywalking and Other Pointless Topics
A few random thoughts from the holy land:
1. When it comes to jaywalking Israelis just don't get it. Memo to Israelis: When there are no cars coming down a narrow street it is o.k. to walk to the other side. CROSS THE STREET!!! You are blocking my way.
Actually, some Israelis take it to the extreme and decide that they have nothing to fear from multi- ton vehicles hurtling their way at fifty miles an hour, and cross right in the middle of oncoming traffic. Let's find a happy medium guys.
2. Yes, I know that my son/daughter is dressed too warmly/not warm enough/too girly/not feminine enough/ and is leaning out of the stroller/walking when he should be in the stroller/poking his sister's eyes out/pulling her brother's hair or is lagging behind developmentally/too developed (???)/not talking enough/talking too much, but thank you random stranger for pointing that out.
3. My Hebrew officially stinks and I am awful at learning languages.
4. Apparently, my community's idea of a beautification project is creating intricate patterns of dog excrement on the streets and sidewalk. This type of creativity soars way over my head, but then again, I have never been a big fan of modern art.
5. The human ego's desire for cheap feelings of superiority knows no bounds. In my case it is Israeli self righteousness syndrome (which I am hoping will be inserted into the DSM V). It is so incredibly easy to fall into this trap, which I vowed to avoid. However, I occasionally catch myself looking at a group of American tourists and saying to myself in a sinister voice, "Ha, ha, ha, those foolish, petty Americans." Which is exactly how every real Israeli looks at me.
That is all for now.
1. When it comes to jaywalking Israelis just don't get it. Memo to Israelis: When there are no cars coming down a narrow street it is o.k. to walk to the other side. CROSS THE STREET!!! You are blocking my way.
Actually, some Israelis take it to the extreme and decide that they have nothing to fear from multi- ton vehicles hurtling their way at fifty miles an hour, and cross right in the middle of oncoming traffic. Let's find a happy medium guys.
2. Yes, I know that my son/daughter is dressed too warmly/not warm enough/too girly/not feminine enough/ and is leaning out of the stroller/walking when he should be in the stroller/poking his sister's eyes out/pulling her brother's hair or is lagging behind developmentally/too developed (???)/not talking enough/talking too much, but thank you random stranger for pointing that out.
3. My Hebrew officially stinks and I am awful at learning languages.
4. Apparently, my community's idea of a beautification project is creating intricate patterns of dog excrement on the streets and sidewalk. This type of creativity soars way over my head, but then again, I have never been a big fan of modern art.
5. The human ego's desire for cheap feelings of superiority knows no bounds. In my case it is Israeli self righteousness syndrome (which I am hoping will be inserted into the DSM V). It is so incredibly easy to fall into this trap, which I vowed to avoid. However, I occasionally catch myself looking at a group of American tourists and saying to myself in a sinister voice, "Ha, ha, ha, those foolish, petty Americans." Which is exactly how every real Israeli looks at me.
That is all for now.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Things that annoy me.
This annoys me.
I really don't have anything useful to say about teaching American preschoolers Hebrew. It might be a good idea or it might not (all I remember from my preschool yeas was that I could master nuclear physics if cookies were involved).
What ticks me off is that there is a need for this. What ticks me off is that a conference needs to held in order to determine why kids can't speak Hebrew. What ticks me off is that after ten years of Hebrew classes I still futz around in the language. "Um ani rotzeh, I mean ratziti, I mean... Do you speak English?"
I have a question for the panel. How can it be that a day school student goes through ten years of Hebrew classes, gets straight A's, and cannot put together a coherent sentence? Forget about me for a second-- I was an awful, lazy student-- but I had friends who actually cared about school and got good grades. Their Hebrew is no better than mine.
The title of the conference should have been, "Why do our Hebrew classes stink?"
In my opinion there are two reasons. First, the stuff that is being taught has virtually no relevance to the actual spoken language. Kids come into tests knowing how to differentiate between poal and nifal, but really have no grasp of their practical ramifications. The second reason that the classes stink is that usually the teachers stink. When I was in school Hebrew teachers were almost always the rabbis who either did not speak enough English, or were not charismatic enough to give shiur... or both.
What we have here is ambivalence. On one hand modern orthodox schools are tied down to their bread and butter. We love the state of Israel, it is reishit smichat geulateinu, go buy Israel bonds, yada yada yada. Consequently,it would follow that it is pretty important to learn Hebrew. On the other hand there is still a small voice inside of them that cries Torah shebeal peh has been our legacy for two thousand years. Let's concentrate on that." So what then do we focus on? Learning Hebrew, or being Jewish? The answer? Neither.
The school that isn't concerned with this dilemna(and most of you can figure out which I school I am referring to) has no problem teaching their students Hebrew. They are quite certain which is more important. Ambivalence is the greatest obstacle to achievement. Take away the ambivalence and their is no problem achieving.
I am in no way suggesting that this school should be the model. However, if the modern- orthodox schools believe that learning Hebrew is important than what is needed is not to teach Hebrew in preschool. What is needed is Hebrew classes that don't stink.
Is Early Childhood Too Early for Hebrew?” This was the question posed by Tani Foger, EdD, a 2006 graduate of Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration and a school psychologist, at the inaugural colloquium of the new Fanya Gottesfeld Heller Division of Doctoral Studies at Azrieli Graduate School on Dec. 5...
Dr. Foger, a special education expert, focused her presentation on the immersion method of teaching Hebrew to preschoolers.
“Hebrew immersion programs in early childhood education will ensure that our day school graduates have a vibrant, facile and working relationship with the Hebrew language,” Dr. Foger said prior to the colloquium.
I really don't have anything useful to say about teaching American preschoolers Hebrew. It might be a good idea or it might not (all I remember from my preschool yeas was that I could master nuclear physics if cookies were involved).
What ticks me off is that there is a need for this. What ticks me off is that a conference needs to held in order to determine why kids can't speak Hebrew. What ticks me off is that after ten years of Hebrew classes I still futz around in the language. "Um ani rotzeh, I mean ratziti, I mean... Do you speak English?"
I have a question for the panel. How can it be that a day school student goes through ten years of Hebrew classes, gets straight A's, and cannot put together a coherent sentence? Forget about me for a second-- I was an awful, lazy student-- but I had friends who actually cared about school and got good grades. Their Hebrew is no better than mine.
The title of the conference should have been, "Why do our Hebrew classes stink?"
In my opinion there are two reasons. First, the stuff that is being taught has virtually no relevance to the actual spoken language. Kids come into tests knowing how to differentiate between poal and nifal, but really have no grasp of their practical ramifications. The second reason that the classes stink is that usually the teachers stink. When I was in school Hebrew teachers were almost always the rabbis who either did not speak enough English, or were not charismatic enough to give shiur... or both.
What we have here is ambivalence. On one hand modern orthodox schools are tied down to their bread and butter. We love the state of Israel, it is reishit smichat geulateinu, go buy Israel bonds, yada yada yada. Consequently,it would follow that it is pretty important to learn Hebrew. On the other hand there is still a small voice inside of them that cries Torah shebeal peh has been our legacy for two thousand years. Let's concentrate on that." So what then do we focus on? Learning Hebrew, or being Jewish? The answer? Neither.
The school that isn't concerned with this dilemna(and most of you can figure out which I school I am referring to) has no problem teaching their students Hebrew. They are quite certain which is more important. Ambivalence is the greatest obstacle to achievement. Take away the ambivalence and their is no problem achieving.
I am in no way suggesting that this school should be the model. However, if the modern- orthodox schools believe that learning Hebrew is important than what is needed is not to teach Hebrew in preschool. What is needed is Hebrew classes that don't stink.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Missing Out
I have already wrote about missing family and friends as a result of living thousands of miles (or kilometers I should say now) away.
Today specifically is very hard.
A very good friend of mine, let's just call him Chambre (to protect his identity), is getting married.
In lieu of embarrassing him in front of twenty friends at his aufruf I will embarrass him in front of the 100 or so anonymous and semi- anonymous people who stop by this blog (at least when my dad links to me).
I first met Chambre in summer camp around 10 years ago. One of my first memories of our friendship was when he checked me so hard during a hockey game that I literally flipped over. That's the kind of friend he is. In Yeshiva, Chambre was one of the few guys who did not think that I was out of my mind, and that a three- foot beard was actually a trendy fashion statement.
The Maharal explains the meaning of "u'kneh lecha chaver" in pirkei avos to mean,
Chambre is a friend in this classic sense, extremely loyal and honest. Our friendship is one of kinyan. He is the ultimate good guy.
As I said, not being there for this one is extremely hard, but we will be doing rikudim here in the holy land.
Mazel Tov
Today specifically is very hard.
A very good friend of mine, let's just call him Chambre (to protect his identity), is getting married.
In lieu of embarrassing him in front of twenty friends at his aufruf I will embarrass him in front of the 100 or so anonymous and semi- anonymous people who stop by this blog (at least when my dad links to me).
I first met Chambre in summer camp around 10 years ago. One of my first memories of our friendship was when he checked me so hard during a hockey game that I literally flipped over. That's the kind of friend he is. In Yeshiva, Chambre was one of the few guys who did not think that I was out of my mind, and that a three- foot beard was actually a trendy fashion statement.
The Maharal explains the meaning of "u'kneh lecha chaver" in pirkei avos to mean,
"sheyihye nikneh lo chaver, shelo tusar hachaveiros mimeno clal (that the friend should be acquired to him, so that friendship will never leave him)."
Chambre is a friend in this classic sense, extremely loyal and honest. Our friendship is one of kinyan. He is the ultimate good guy.
As I said, not being there for this one is extremely hard, but we will be doing rikudim here in the holy land.
Mazel Tov
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Monday, December 04, 2006
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